INTERNATIONAL

Belgian prosecutors believe they may have found a Brussels apartment where one of the Paris jihadists hid after the 13 November attacks. Police found traces of explosives and a fingerprint of fugitive Salah Abdeslam in an apartment in the Schaerbeek district. The apartment had been rented in a false name, that might have been used by a person already in ...

Chinese shares jumped higher on the first day of trade after a “circuit breaker” mechanism introduced to prevent sharp falls was lifted. Regulators have stepped in after big losses in the mainland markets led trade to be suspended early on two occasions this week. The central bank also set the yuan guidance rate higher to calm markets. The sell-off came ...

The US, South Korea and Japan have said they will be united in their response to North Korea’s claim to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. North Korea said it carried out the test on Wednesday – if confirmed it would be its fourth nuclear test, and its first of the more powerful H-bomb. The UN Security Council has also ...

An Islamic court has sentenced a Nigerian cleric to death by hanging for insulting the Prophet Muhammad in the northern city of Kano. Abdulazeez Dauda, popularly known as Abdul Inyass, was convicted after a trial held in secret to avoid protests. Five of his followers were also sentenced to death last year. These are the first death sentences for blasphemy ...

International scepticism and condemnation have greeted North Korea’s claim to have successfully carried out an underground hydrogen bomb test. If confirmed, it would be North Korea’s fourth nuclear test since 2006 and mark a major upgrade in its capabilities. But nuclear experts have questioned whether the size of the blast was large enough to have been from an H-bomb. South ...

North Korea says it has successfully tested a miniaturised hydrogen bomb which, if confirmed, would be its fourth nuclear test since 2006. It came after a 5.1 magnitude quake was detected close to its nuclear test site at Punggye-ri, indicating a test may have been conducted. This is North Korea’s first claim to have tested a hydrogen bomb which is ...

An unknown number of US Special Forces have been either killed or wounded in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province, US officials have said. The forces, along with Afghan troops, were taking part in a counter-terrorism operation when they came under fire, the officials told US media. A medical helicopter sent to rescue the casualties was then forced down. US-led Nato combat ...

The UN Security Council has strongly condemned an attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran by protesters angered by the execution of a Shia cleric. The statement made no mention of the execution of the cleric, Nimr al-Nimr. Saudi Arabia broke off diplomatic ties with Iran on Sunday after its embassy was ransacked and set alight. On Monday, Turkey’s Deputy ...

A number of Saudi Arabia’s allies have joined diplomatic action against Iran after the Saudi embassy in Tehran was attacked amid a row over the execution of a Shia Muslim cleric. Bahrain and Sudan have both severed relations with Iran, and the UAE has downgraded its diplomatic team. Saudi Arabia on Sunday severed ties and gave Iran’s diplomats two days ...

Saudi Arabia has given Iranian diplomats 48 hours to leave the country, amid a row over the Saudi execution of a top Shia Muslim cleric. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir announced on Sunday the country had broken off diplomatic ties with Iran. Iran said this would not distract from Riyadh’s “big mistake” in executing the cleric, the IRNA agency reported. ...